Just Another Story
by Wild Colors
Summary: Completely A/U: Gohan is divorced with full custody of his daughter, Pan. His marriage ended terribly that he had given up on love. When Marron entered his world, she became the light to his darkness, and he fell in love all over again. Gohan confesses and asks Marron to be his girlfriend. Marron agrees, but she has no romantic feelings towards him, will her feelings change?
1. Chapter 1

Today was FINALLY the day! The day Gohan was going to ask Marron to become his girlfriend. He was excited yet nervous, and had everything planned out. He'd been in love with her for two years now.

How did his love for her begin? It all started when he hired Marron as his personal assistant three years ago. Before Gohan hired her, Marron was seven-teen years old, and looking for a job. Goten and Trunks put in a good word for her, and strongly begged Gohan to give her a chance. They convinced him it would be a win win situation for everyone, considering Gohan's and Marron's dilemmas. Gohan needed a personal assistant, and of course, Marron needed a job. But to be honest, Goten and Trunks were tired of helping Gohan out. They were only supposed to help him out for a few weeks until he hired someone permanently, but a few weeks, turned into a few months, and they ultimately had enough. They wanted their lives back!

After his divorce from Videl, Gohan buried himself with his work, and actually thought he could never love another woman again. After falling in love with Marron, he was glad that he was wrong. Gohan sadly realized that he was a lonely and unhappy man. But not anymore! Why? Because he is happily in love. And now that Miss Marron has turned twenty, Gohan is comfortable confessing his love for her. He fears another man will take her away if he doesn't act now.

Many Factors prevented him from telling her how he felt in the past. Factor 1: He is thirteen years older than her. Factor 2: He is divorced. Factor 3: He has a daughter with Videl, named Pan, that lives with him, and his daughter is six years younger than Marron, and is Marron's friend. Factor 4: His parents and her parents. Factor 5 and his biggest fear: REJECTION.

Gohan kept telling himself that love conquers all, and he really hoped this time around that it would come true.

* * *

\- Bridgewood Knowledge University -

Gohan is a chemistry teacher at Bridgewood Knowledge University, one of three of his professions. He taught two morning classes there three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Well, today is Monday, and after both of his morning classes were over, Gohan called Marron in to help him grade papers, to help him prepare for his lesson plans next week, and to tell her how he felt about her.

When Marron arrived, she entered the classroom happy and sparkling. She wasn't in her usual, laid-back, comfortable attire. Today, she was dressed differently, and Gohan thought it was strange, yet he thought she looked really pretty. She had on a blue, off the shoulder, dress, that was laced at the top. It was mid-length, so she was showing off her legs. She had on brownish-red high heels, and her hair was swept to the side with loose curls, instead of the French braid she usually wore. But what really surprised him the most is that Marron was wearing make-up.

Marron greeted Gohan, pulled up a chair, and took a seat next to him at his desk. "What would you like me to do first?" She asked, making herself comfortable.

Gohan tried not to stare at her. He handed her a stack of papers, and cleared his throat. "You can start by grading these tests," he said, turning red in the face. Gohan couldn't help it. He was extremely conscious of her. He couldn't stop his heart from racing, and he couldn't stop blushing. He felt like such a dork, and Marron wasn't conscious of him at all.

"Okay," she said. She picked up a red Sharpie from the desk and asked him for the answer key. Their hands slightly touched during this exchange, causing Gohan to sweat. His nervousness increased, and he started to feel light-headed. _"How am I suppose to confess to her like this?" He thought._ He knew he had to get out of there quickly before he made a fool of himself! He needed to calm down. Gohan stood up from his chair. "Marron," he said to her. "I'm leaving to get a drink of water. I'll be right back," he said.

"Okay," Marron answered, as she continued to grade papers. Not one time did she make eye contact with him.

As he was exiting the classroom, he tripped over an extension cord that was plugged into the wall, and fell hard onto the floor. He cried out in pain while thinking, _"There goes not making a fool of myself. So uncool, Gohan! So uncool!"_

Marron dashed over to him right away. "Are you alright?! You didn't break anything, did you?!" She asked leaning over him.

Gohan avoided looking at her, and groaned as she helped him up. "I'll be alright," he answered. "I'm just a klutz." Gohan was completely embarrassed.

Marron offered to bring him some water, but Gohan declined her offer. The way she worried and fussed over him made him want to kiss her.

Gohan assured Marron that he was fine, and she went back to grading papers. After he made it out of the classroom alive, he closed the door behind him, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

After a few minutes went by, Gohan wasn't back. _"No big deal," Marron thought_. A half hour went by, and Gohan still wasn't back. "I'm starting to worry," she said to herself. After an hour went by, Marron was officially worried, and she tried calling him on his phone. "No answer. Where are you, Gohan?" Marron began pacing around the classroom, and called Pan to see if Gohan was with her.

\- Two hours later -

Gohan peeked his head into the classroom and saw that Marron was still there. Her facial expression looked as if she was annoyed or irritated. He felt bad for leaving her all alone, and he re-entered the classroom to apologize. "MARRON. I'm so SORRY. I didn't mean to leave you alone. I lost track of time and.."

Before Gohan could finish his sentenced, Marron hugged him tightly. "I was scared and worried about you," she said. "You didn't answer your phone, and you've never disappeared like this before. I didn't know what to think."

This made Gohan happy, as he hugged her in return. "I'm sorry," he said, softly. "I won't do this again. I promise."

"Good," Marron said, as she released him. "Well, I finished grading the test papers, and I made the syllabus for next week. I just have to make 180 copies."

Gohan was now feeling confident and relaxed. "That can wait," he said. "Since... I... caused you trouble, let me make it up to you."

"How?" asked Marron, looking up at him.

"You. You look especially beautiful today. How about I take you out to eat somewhere?" He asked, while his heart pounded.

Marron smiled, "Thank you, Gohan. That's really sweet of you, but that's not necessary. Maybe some other time," she said.

Gohan did not see that coming. He was so positive she'd say yes. "Oh," he said disappointed, with a sad look on his face.

"Aw, Gohan, it's not like I'm purposely being mean," she said. "I already have dinner plans."

"Ohhh," he said casually. "I see now. That explains why you're dressed up. You must be meeting your parents."

"Uh, no. Not this time," replied Marron. "I turned you down because I have a date with this totally hot guy that I met at the gym!" she said excitedly. She checked her phone. "I'm waiting to receive a message from him."

"Say what now!" Gohan said displeased. "You have a date! With WHO?" He demanded. "How long have you known this guy?! BAD idea, MARRON. BAD IDEA. Maybe you should cancel. Yeah. Cancel your date," Gohan said angrily.

Marron laughed at him. "You sound like my mother," she said. "You know how overprotective she is, and no need to worry, Gohan. I'm not a baby anymore. I'm not going to do anything I don't want to do."

"I don't want you to do ANYTHING," Gohan said desperately. "PLEASE, just cancel your date. There's something I NEED to tell you! If you listen to me, maybe you'll change your mind."

Marron grabbed ahold of his hands. "Calm down, mom," she said sarcastically. "Geez! I'm NOT canceling my date," she said. "I really like this guy."

She gently stroked the right side of his cheek. "Thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be fine."

Marron grabbed her purse and her keys. "Please don't worry, Gohan. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and left.

* * *

\- Gohan's Home -

Gohan arrived home bummed out and pissed. When he entered inside, he saw Pan on the couch watching TV with Goten. "Hey, dad! Welcome home," Pan said happily. "Thanks sweetie. I'm sort of in a bad mood. Things didn't go as planned at work today, so I don't want to be bothered," he said.

"What happened?" Asked Goten.

"I don't want to talk about it," snapped Gohan.

Goten shrugged. "Alright bro," he said.

"Dad, are you hungry. We have pizza," Pan said.

"Didn't I tell you I didn't want you spending your money on pizza," Gohan said, scolding her.

"I didn't buy it! Marron did. She called me earlier worried about you, and I told her I was hungry."

Gohan tossed his briefcase in a corner, and stormed to his room. "I DON'T WANT TO BE BOTHERED!"

Goten and Pan looked at each other. "He must've really had a bad day," Pan said, feeling sorry for him.

"Yeah," said Goten. "But he'll get over it."

The two of them continued to watch TV and ate the remainder slices of pizza.

* * *

\- Marron's Date -

Marron met her date at the front entrance of an Italian restaurant. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and gave her a dozen of roses. "Wow! You look stunning," he said to her. "Shall we go in?"

Marron blushed. "We shall," she said. He offered his arm to her, and escorted her inside.

A waiter dressed in black and white, with a red vest, greeted them and showed them to their table.

Marron looked around the restaurant. It was huge and designed very nice inside. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, Cage. I do," replied Marron.

"Then I'm glad I made reservations for this place."

They both picked up the menu and began scanning through it. Marron didn't know what to order, so her date, Cage, asked if he could order for her, and Marron complied. The waiter came over to their table and said, "Ha già deciso?" Marron didn't understand what the waiter asked, but Cage did. He immediately answered the waiter back in Italian and ordered their beverages and their food.

Marron was impressed. She was really attracted to Cage, and liked his brown curly hair. She thought he had a nice build, and thought he dressed well. She loved the sound of his voice, and she thought he was a perfect gentleman. Marron was having a nice time with him. He made her smile, laugh, and blush. She thought that he could be the one for her.

As their dinner date was coming to an end, the waiter came by and gave them the bill. Cage looked at the amount, and gave the waiter his credit card. As they waited for the waiter to return, Cage started rocking himself a little bit.

"Uh, is something wrong Cage?" Marron asked, looking at him worried.

"I'm just getting nervous since I'll have to say bye to you soon," replied Cage.

"It's okay. I had a great time, so just relax," she said, as she opened her purse and began looking through it. She stopped when she heard a faint sound. When she looked up at Cage he was sucking his thumb, and twirling his hair.

 _"WHAT THE WHAAAAAAT?" Thought Marron inside her head._

Cage took his thumb out of his mouth. "This is how I'm able to relax," he said, and stuck his thumb back in.

Marron got up so fast. "Oh my gosh! Will you look at the time? I just remembered I had to be somewhere else! Far away...from..here."

"When can we meet again?" Asked Cage with his thumb inside his mouth.

Marron barely made out what he asked. "I'm guessing...um...probably...NEVER."

Marron hightailed it out of there so fast and didn't look back.

* * *

\- The Following Morning -

Gohan called Marron around 7:00am, and told her not to come in to work today. When Marron questioned him about it, he didn't give her an answer. He only told her not to come in.

Marron was hard-headed and went to work anyway. Today was Tuesday, the day Gohan worked at the real estate firm. She entered into his office with two cups of coffee and a box of doughnuts.

"What's your problem?!" She asked, placing his coffee on his desk.

"I told you not to come in!" Gohan said, standing up. "And I don't want this coffee!"

"Don't make me pour this coffee on your paperwork," she said.

"Get out!" Gohan yelled.

"NO! Not until you tell me what your problem is!" Marron said.

Gohan was frustrated, but he gave in. "Fine," he said.

"Okay. I'm listening," Marron said. "Tell me."

"I'm in love with this incredible, beautiful, and thoughtful person. I wanted to confess my feelings to her, but I think I might be too late. What should I do Marron?"

"I'm so happy for you! Although, I am surprised you had time to fall in love," Marron said, sitting down. "See, don't you feel better by talking to me?"

Gohan sat down too. "Yes, now will you please give me some advice?" He asked.

Marron stared at Gohan. "Hm," she said. She got up, and invaded his personal space. She removed his glasses from his face. Then she took her hands and messed up his hair.

"Confess to her, Gohan. Even if it is too late, confess to her like this. Let her see your wild hair, and handsome face," Marron said.

"What if she rejects me?" asked Gohan.

"Then I'll comfort you," she answered, giving him back his glasses.

Gohan smiled, and pinned Marron against the wall in the corner of his office. "Marron, when you told me you had a date yesterday, I was angry. I was angry because I was jealous."

"Why, why, why, why, why, were you jealous?" She asked lowly, fearing his answer.

"Because," he said, leaning his face against hers. "I'm in love with you," he said, whispering in her ears.

Marron tried to move, but he had her cornered. "I know you're not in love with me, but will you give me a chance? Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Gohan, I'm not -"

"Please," he whispered.

"But what about Pan?"

"Please," he whispered. "I love you so much."

"But, Gohan," Marron said. "I never saw you in this way. Even now, with you so close to me, I don't feel anything."

"Please," he said, looking directly into her eyes, as if his whole world would end if she said no.

Marron pitied him, and just couldn't break his heart. Although she wasn't in love with him, she did love him as a friend. "Fine," she said, giving in to his request. "I'll be your girlfriend."

Gohan hugged her. "YES!" Then he pulled away from her. "What happened on your date last night?"

"Nothing happened, Gohan," Marron said. "And I will never see him again."

"Excellent," Gohan replied.

"Gohan," Marron said, calling his name gently.

He answered, "Yes, baby."

"I want to keep this a secret from everyone," she said.

"Why? Are you ashamed?" he asked.

"This is all new to me," answered Marron. "I won't be able to handle this if everyone knew. This is my first relationship. I've never had a boyfriend. I've never been kissed on the lips. I've never been in love, and I've never been intimate with anyone. I have my doubts about this. I don't know if I'll fall in love with you, but I want to take you, and this relationship seriously without any interference."

"Okay," he said hugging her. "For now, our relationship will stay between us."

End of chapter


	2. Chapter 2

When Marron made it home, she wasn't sure she did the right thing by agreeing to be Gohan's girlfriend. She didn't know how she should feel or what to expect. Would this be a waste of time or not? Did she really want to be involved with a divorcé with a teenage daughter? Oh, what to do? What to do? _"Why did I agree to this?" Marron thought_.

Marron changed into something more relaxing, prepared herself a turkey sandwich, with milk and cookies on the side, and sat down at her desk to do some studying and homework. She was a second year college student and took online and on-campus classes. She had a project due in her biology class, and a test coming up in her chemistry class. She tried to focus, but she kept thinking about her situation with Gohan. "I don't think this is going to work out after all. I have to talk to him," Marron said to herself.

While Marron tried to decide what to do, she was distracted when she heard a familiar knock on her door. She automatically knew it was Goten and/or Trunks because they had a distinct knock they used to identify themselves whenever they came over.

She ran to open the door, and there they were; Goten and Trunks with Bra and Pan. She quickly noticed that Bra and Pan looked very upset.

"Hey Marron! I hope it's okay we stopped by," said Trunks. "We came over to check on you."

Marron smiled. "I don't mind at all," she said. "Please, come on in, and make yourselves comfortable."

They all greeted her, entered the apartment, and took a seat. Bra and Pan sat together with their arms and legs crossed on her futon, while Trunks, Marron, and Goten, sat opposite of them on the sofa.

Marron nudged Goten and Trunks with her elbow. "What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing," they both answered calmly.

"They're clearly upset about something," Marron said. She moved away from Trunks and Goten, and flopped herself in the middle of Bra and Pan. "What's wrong with the two of you?" She asked.

"Yin and Yang over there grounded us," answered Pan, scowling at her uncle Goten and Trunks.

"That's right! We surely did," said Trunks.

"Why did you ground them?" Asked Marron. "What did they do?"

"We saw them walking with a couple of boys," said Goten. "It looked like a double date."

"They were classmates! We just happen to be walking in the same direction. That's all!" Explained Pan, slightly yelling.

"Dressed like that! That's a load of bull, and you know it," replied Trunks.

Marron saw the way they were dressed. It was nothing out of the ordinary for Bra and Pan because they always dressed nice and girly. She thought Trunks and Goten were overreacting and being overprotective.

Marron shifted her attention to Bra. "You're awfully quiet," she said to her.

"Well, apparently, walking and talking to boys that are in our class is the ULTIMATE NO-NO," said Bra, being dramatic.

"Correction," said Trunks raising his hand. "Not just boys in your classes, but ALL boys in general is a no-no."

Bra screamed and threw a pillow at her brother out of frustration. "YOU ARE SO UNFAIR! YOU GROUNDED ME FOR NO REASON, AND YOU EMBARRASED US."

"You LIVE with ME! I DECIDE what's FAIR! And I can EMBARRASS you whenever I want!" Trunks said, retaliating.

"You just want to ruin my life!" Bra said, now throwing her shoe at him.

Trunks dodged being hit by her shoe. "THEN CONSIDER IT RUINED!" He yelled.

"YOU"RE WORSE THAN DAD!" She screamed.

Trunks hated it when Bra compared him to their father. "Take that back," He demanded, as he deepened his voice.

"I will not," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

They both glared at each other, but both knew it was pointless to keep arguing. "Humph!" They both grumbled, and turned away from looking at one another.

Pan looked at her uncle. "Are you going to tell my dad about this?" She asked.

"You know I am," answered Goten. "So I don't know why you asked," he said.

"You're so mean! You know my dad came home in a terrible mood the other day after work. What if he comes home again in a foul mood?" Said Pan. "Think about my dad would ya."

"Eh, I'll think about it," said Goten. Then he looked at Marron. "Hey Marron, out of curiosity, what happened at work that day?" He asked.

Pan looked at her too. "Yeah, what happened?" She asked. "What turned his day upside down?"

Marron thought for a second, and remembered it was the day she told Gohan she had a date. She looked at Pan, and she looked at Goten. There was no way she was going to tell them that. "Um, I left early that day," she said. "I didn't know he was angry."

"I see," said Goten.

"I guess we'll never know," said Pan.

Marron looked at them again. "Was Gohan really that angry?" She asked.

"Yes," answered Goten. "He locked himself in his room and everything."

"Oh," she said softly, as she remembered Gohan's confession to her.

"Marron, don't you think Uncle Goten and Trunks went overboard by grounding us?" Asked Pan.

Goten and Trunks both looked at Marron waiting to hear her reply. "Well, do you?" They asked.

"Well, yeah," said Marron. "I think the two of you could have handled things differently," she said.

"Thank you, Marron," said Bra.

"Marron, how could you? I thought you were on our side," said Trunks.

"Come on! Can the two of you trust them more?" Asked Marron.

"No," answered Goten.

"Girls can never be trusted around boys," said Trunks.

"Why is that?" Asked Marron.

"Because boys can be pretty convincing," said Goten.

"How do you know?" Asked Pan.

"Trust us. We know," answered Trunks.

Marron spaced out after hearing Goten say that boys can be pretty convincing, and started thinking of Gohan again. _"Was I convinced to be his girlfriend?" She asked herself._

"Marron! Helloooo. Are you there?" Pan said, snapping her fingers in her face.

"I'm here," said Marron, as she came back to reality.

"What got into you?" Bra asked. "You checked out on us. Is everything alright?"

"I have a lot on my mind," Marron said.

"You can always talk to us about it," said Pan.

"Thanks," said Marron.

"Tell us what's on your mind," said Trunks.

"Yeah, tell us," said Goten.

Marron was reluctant about telling them her situation, especially since it was about Gohan, but she thought it would be insightful to hear their personal opinions.

"Well, you see, there's this guy," she started, looking away from them.

"Uh-oh," said Goten.

"I don't think I like this," said Trunks.

"He asked me to be his girlfriend, and I agreed," said Marron.

"YOU GOT A BOYFRIEND!" They all yelled.

"Well it's about time you got one," said Bra. "Congratulations!"

"Yay," said Pan. "I thought you were going to end up an old maid," she said.

"I'm not liking this at all," said Trunks. "You're too trusting, Marron," he said.

"Yeah, "said Goten. "I don't think you're ready for a relationship yet."

"Will the two of you hush?!" Bra said yelling at them. "This is about Marron."

"So what is this guy like?" asked Goten.

"He's a nice guy," said Marron.

"Is he ugly" asked Pan.

"No," replied Marron.

"Does he live with his mother?" Asked Bra.

"No. He has his own place," replied Marron.

"You haven't visited his place, have you?" Asked Trunks.

"Not alone," said Marron.

"Clarify," said Trunks.

Marron tried to find the right words to explain. She looked at Goten and Pan. "He has roommates," she said. "Two of them, and I'm friends with them. So we are never alone," she said.

"You better not be," said Trunks.

"Is he at all a mama's boy?" asked Pan, "Because you have to watch out for them."

"Um, NO," replied Marron.

"Is he boring?" Asked Bra.

"No. I think he's interesting," replied Marron.

"Then what's the problem?!" asked Bra.

"I'm not attracted to him," said Marron. "And I agreed to be his girlfriend because I didn't want to hurt his feelings."

Trunks got up and flicked Marron on the forehead. "You agreed to be the girlfriend of some guy because you DIDN'T want to hurt his feelings? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Trunks said scolding her.

Marron rubbed her forehead. "But you didn't see the look in his face," She said. "Plus he's a nice guy."

"See! This is the perfect example!" said Trunks pointing at Marron. "She ended up with a boyfriend all because some guy gave her the puppy dog face!"

"Now do you girls see why we worry?" Asked Goten. "Girls just can't be trusted."

"Dump him, Marron," said Trunks.

"I'm on Trunks side," said Goten.

"NO. I need to make sure this is the right choice," she said.

"There's no right or wrong," said Bra. "But if you're not attracted to him, then I join my brother and say dump him," she said.

Pan saw that Marron began to look dissuaded, and came to her aid. "Well, I'm sure Beauty wasn't attracted to the Beast when they first met, and they turned out well," said Pan, trying to support her, making her feel better.

"What's with you and these analogies," said Bra, looking at Pan.

Pan looked at Bra and shrugged.

"Anyway, who is this guy?" Asked Trunks. "I want to meet him."

"You have met him," said Marron.

"I have! Then who is it?" He asked curiously.

"I'm not telling you," she said.

* * *

The next day

Marron called Gohan, and asked him to meet her at a café near her school before her class began. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. She just knew she had to see him.

Gohan arrived out of breath, and somewhat frantic. He had on a white t-shirt, with charcoal denim pants. "You sounded serious over the phone. The tone of your voice made me nervous." He said, taking a seat in front of her at the table.

Marron saw that Gohan wasn't wearing his glasses, and he had on a cap.

"I had just came out the shower when you called, and rushed right over," he said.

"You rushed over here for me?" asked Marron.

"I sure did," he said. "Now talk to me."

"Okay," said Marron. "Gohan, I called you over, because I want to talk about us," she said.

"What about us?" Asked Gohan, feeling nervous. "Baby, please tell me you're okay with us."

"I don't know," she replied. "Gohan. I want to feel something for you," she said. " And you know, I only agreed to be your girlfriend because I didn't want to break your heart."

"I'm fine with that," Gohan said to her. "I know where I stand."

"Are you sure you're fine with this?! Don't you want more?" She asked.

"I want you," Gohan said to her. " So I'm fine with this."

"I can't promise you anything," said Marron, shaking her head.

"No. You have to promise me something," said Gohan.

"What is it?" Asked Marron, hesitating.

"Promise me that as long as you're in a relationship with me, you won't fall in love with another man. Promise you won't betray me, and promise to talk to me whenever you feel lonely," said Gohan.

"Is this really necessary?" She asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Please, Marron," said Gohan. "I'm not confident at all. Promise me those things."

 _"There goes that face again," she thought to herself._ "I promise," she said to him.

"And you don't have to worry about a thing," said Gohan. "I promise I will treasure you. I will not touch you or try anything with you," he said.

"O...kay," Marron said, not sure of how to respond. "I guess that's good to know."

Marron took a look at her phone to check the time. _"I can spare a few more minutes before I have to go."_ She put her phone away, and focused on Gohan again. "There's something else," she said to him.

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"I, I told Trunks, Goten, Bra, and Pan that I have a boyfriend. But I didn't tell them my boyfriend was you," she said.

Gohan smiled happily. He liked hearing Marron refer to him as her boyfriend. "You told them about me? How did they react?" He asked.

"I'll tell you everything later," she said. "I just thought you should know."

"Okay," Gohan said to her.

Marron picked up her books. "I have to go to class now," she said. "I don't want to be late."

Gohan slightly gripped her wrist, preventing her from leaving. "You and I, us, we're okay, right?" He asked.

"We're okay," she said assuring him.

"Date? This Saturday?" He asked nervously.

"Sure," she said.

As Marron began to walk away, Gohan called out to her. "HEY MARRON," He shouted. Marron stopped and turned to look at him. "I love you," he said, slowly mouthing out the words.

All Marron did was smile and wave at him, because she couldn't say the words in return.

\- End of Chapter -


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of Marron's alarm clock filled the air disturbing her from her peaceful sleep. She reached for her phone an arm's length away and turned it off. She opened one eye, peeked at the time, and groaned lightly. "Ten more minutes," she said to herself, resting her head back on her pillow. "Then I'll get ready."

* * *

Meanwhile, Goten tapped lightly on his brother's door because he heard commotion coming from his room. "Hey, Gohan," he said, turning the knob, opening the door. "Are you -Whoa! Look at the mess in here!" He said.

There were clothes and shoes spread everywhere throughout his room. Every piece of clothing Gohan owned was either on his bed or on the floor.

Gohan was standing in front of his full length mirror, checking himself out. He glanced over at his brother, Goten, through his mirror, and remembered he didn't lock his door. Gohan turned his attention back to himself. "What do you want Goten?" He asked annoyed. "I'm kind of busy here," he said, trying to get ready for his first date with Marron.

"Um, Are you going out?" Asked Goten, as he shoved some clothes aside and sat down on Gohan's bed.

"I am," answered Gohan. "As soon as I choose the right clothes to wear."

"Hm," said Goten, staring at his brother curiously. "Why is choosing the right clothes important? You usually just throw on one of your suits and tie, and never once have I seen your room a mess like this."

"Because I'm nervous, okay!" Replied Gohan, removing the striped shirt and blazer he had on tossing them on the bed with the other rejects.

Goten was taken aback by his brother's statement. " _He's never nervous when he has a business meeting,_ _" he thought._ Goten looked around his brother's room once more and took notice of an opened bottle of after shave, and a brand new bottle of cologne sitting next to it. All of a sudden, Goten burst out laughing.

Gohan balled up his fists and glared at his brother. "What's so funny?" He asked with a serious tone.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," said Goten, as his laughter ceased. "For a second, **only for a second** , I thought, maybe, you had a date," he said. "But that's impossible."

Gohan pointed to his door. "Now that you've had your fun, LEAVE," he said.

Goten stood up. "Alright," he said, wondering why Gohan didn't laugh at his claim. _"This must be very important," Goten thought. "He must have to give a speech at a high school again. Oh, well, I'll get him to talk."_

"Before I go," said Goten, "can I borrow your CD that's laying on top of your book over there?"

"Sure," replied Gohan.

As soon as Gohan turned his back on his brother, Goten tackled him to the floor, and the two of them began wrestling.

"Where are you going?" Asked Goten, trying his best to overpower his brother.

"None of your business," answered Gohan, barely keeping the upper hand. He was using all the strength he had to restrain his brother.

As soon as Goten stopped resisting, Gohan released him, and they both rose back to their feet. When Gohan thought it was over, he let his guard down, and Goten jumped at the chance and put his brother in the annoying headlock. "Where are going?!" He asked again, squeezing tightly.

Gohan countered, and they were back on the floor wrestling again. His pride as the older brother was not going to let him lose to his baby brother, and once again, he had Goten restrained. "If you promise to leave me alone," said Gohan, "I will let you go."

"Then I guess we'll be here for a while, because I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me where you're going," replied Goten. "And if you don't want to be late, the sooner you tell me, the better," he said.

Gohan growled. He knew better than anyone how persistent Goten could be when he wanted something, and he did not want to be late, so he released him.

"You win," he said. "If you must know, I have a date tonight," he said, slightly boasting, "and I'm trying to find something to wear."

"Stop LYING" replied Goten quickly.

"I'm NOT lying," retorted Gohan. "How dare you waste my time if you're not going to believe me!"

"Wow! You're serious," said Goten, pulling out his phone from his back pocket. "You actually believe you have a date, don't you? Trunks warned me about this moment."

Gohan watched as Goten made a phone call. "Who are you calling?" He asked.

"Trunks," answered Goten. "I'm going to tell him that you finally snapped."

Gohan snatched the phone away from him in an instant. "Why is this hard for you to believe?" Asked Gohan. "I'm in love! This is my first date! And you're messing this up for me."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" said Goten. "After you and Videl divorced, you became a person I didn't recognize. It's like the fun-loving brother I had was gone. You never tried to go out and meet anyone, and your social circle is very small."

"Everyone knows I didn't take my divorce from Videl very well," admitted Gohan, "but my heart has healed now," he said.

Goten stared at his brother with doubtful eyes raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure she's real?" he asked concerned. "She's not a figment of your imagination, or a robot, or a 2D woman, or anything, is she?"

"SHE'S REAL!" Snapped Gohan. "Now, if you're not going to help me, GET OUT!"

 _"YEESH!" Thought Goten. "Work **must** really be stressing him out."_ Goten didn't say anything else concerning the matter, and decided to help his brother get dressed. He figured Gohan just needed time for himself or either a drink to calm his nerves.

* * *

On Marron's side of town, as she got ready for her date with Gohan, she originally planned to wear a pair of denim jeans, her pink sneakers, a black shirt, with her hair loose. When she saw herself in the mirror, she realized the outfit she had on was something she would wear if she was hanging out casually with friends. Although it felt weird to her that Gohan was now her boyfriend, she asked herself, _"Do I want my boyfriend to see me like this?"_ And the answer was, _"no_ ".

During the time she had left, Marron curled her hair, and placed a designer hair comb on one side. She put on a strapless, pink, sequined, ombre dress, that stopped two inches above her knees. She then chose the perfect shoes to wear, and picked out her hand bag. When she saw herself the second time, she was completely satisfied.

* * *

Gohan was suppose to pick her up at 6:30 pm, but he was running late after dealing with Goten. He wanted to stop somewhere and buy her flowers, but time would not permit. He rushed getting to her apartment, and planned to apologize the moment he saw her. But as soon as Marron opened the door, and when Gohan laid his dark colored eyes upon her, his brain went out to lunch, and he stared in awe of her. The poor thing couldn't even form a sentence.

When Marron saw Gohan, on the other hand, only one word came to her mind, and that was Goten. Gohan reminded her of Goten from from top to bottom because of how he had his hair, and the way he was dressed. Without realizing it, home girl was blushing.

"Shall we get going?" Marron asked, barely looking at him, as she closed the door to her apartment.

"Uh- sure," Gohan replied.

"And can we stop by the mall first?" she asked, beginning to walk ahead of him.

"I suppose so," he answered, although he had different plans.

* * *

While in the car, the couple of times Gohan glanced over at Marron, she kept her head facing the window. She didn't look at him once, nor did she speak. This made him worry because he thought she didn't want to be on their date.

When they arrived, Gohan parked close to the entrance for her. "Why did you want to stop here?" He asked curiously.

"Please," she said to him. "I need you to change your clothes."

"Excuse me," Gohan said, with hurt feelings. "Do you have any idea what I went through to prepare for our date tonight?" He asked. "And now you tell me to change my clothes. Do you hate the way I look that much?"

"You're misunderstanding, -" Marron said, but before she could finish, Gohan cut her off.

"Will you look at me and stop looking out the window," said Gohan, in a commanding way.

When Marron turned to face him, Gohan could clearly see that she was blushing. That made him happy yet confused. "Why do you want me to change my clothes?" He asked gently.

"Because you look too much like Goten dressed like this," said Marron. "The way your hair is softly spiked. The shirt. The jacket. The pants. The shoes. The shades on your head. The watch. All of it. This is Goten's style!"

Gohan was quiet for a moment. _"So is the reason she was blushing because I look like my brother to her?" he thought. "Does she have a crush on him and not know it?"_

Marron interrupted his thinking. "It's clear that Goten dressed you. Am I right?" Asked Marron.

"I told him I had a date, and he wanted to help. Now I regret that he did," said Gohan, ready to call the whole evening off.

"I don't want to feel like I'm on a date with Goten," said Marron, taking the shades off his head. "Gohan, you are my boyfriend. I want to be on a date with you."

The statement Marron made to him, made Gohan smile.

"Now, will you please go in there and buy something, and come back as you?" Asked Marron.

Gohan nodded and went.

* * *

When Gohan came back to the car from shopping, he wasn't as flashy as before. He had on blue pants, a white polo, and casual black shoes. His hair was combed backwards with a short strand of hair on his forehead. "Is this better?" He asked her nervously.

"Where's your glasses?" Marron asked.

Gohan pointed to the glove department. "In there," he answered.

Marron retrieved his glasses for him, and placed them on his face. Afterwards, she looked at him, and said one word, "Perfect."

-End of Chapter-


End file.
